People’s Choice – Distributor: Matt Harrison

Harrison is a solutions architect at Ingram Micro, in the VAD division

By Reseller News Staff, Auckland | Friday, 13 November 2009
At a Glance:
• Job Title: Solutions architect at Value Added Distributors, a division of Ingram Micro
• Background: Distribution, sales and marketing
• In current role: Three years
• Quote: “I can help both the resellers and clients understand why a particular solution is best and how it will enable them to achieve their business goals.”




Matt Harrison, a solutions architect with Value-Added Distributors (VAD), a division of Ingram Micro, says he’s not a geeky tech type of guy, but he understands how the technology can help clients solve business problems.

“I’ve been on the distributor side of the business for around 13 years, first in the UK and for the past three years in New Zealand. My background is in marketing and sales so I know what goes into the sales process. But at the same time I know the various hardware options – with a specialty in IBM and NetApp – and can help resellers design solutions that meet client requirements.”

With the growing popularity of consolidation and virtualisation strategies, specialist knowledge is sometimes in short supply. “I stay fairly focussed on the IBM solution set,” continues Harrison, “so that I know the advantages of certain products and how they fit into the overall picture. In my role as a pre-sales support specialist, I help explain to the end user exactly why a certain specification – such as ‘twice as fast’ – is a good thing. Too often end users get facts and figures thrown at them without an explanation of the business benefits. That’s where my marketing and sales background comes in – I can help both the resellers and clients understand why a particular solution is best and how it will enable them to achieve their business goals.”